In recent months television and print media have run stories about
comfort food. What is comfort food? It's often gooey macaroni and
cheese, a fat, juicy hamburger, crispy and salty French fries, spaghetti
and meatballs. For me, comfort food is creamy food. I love creamed
spinach, creamed chicken, and pasta with a creamy Alfredo sauce. But I'm
trying to lose a few pounds and eliminating creamed foods is a way to
do this.
My mother used to make chicken pot pie from scratch, a labor-intensive recipe to be sure. This classic dish is a fancy version of creamed chicken. You can make a quick version with canned soup, but it tastes like canned soup, and is high in salt. The only way to get the creamy comfort I desired was to adapt the classic chicken pot pie recipe.
Removing the crust or biscuits would reduce the calories markedly. Deleting the cream or milk would also reduce the calories. Adding lots of vegetables would boost the nutritional value of the dish. I could also reduce the salt by using salt-free chicken stock. Finally, I could cut calories by using skinless chicken breasts.
For an Oriental version of this recipe, omit the thyme and add a couple of tablespoons of sugar-free marmalade and a dash of soy sauce. You may also make this recipe with shredded deli chicken.
I cooked the chicken breasts in the toaster oven and it worked well. To keep the chicken from becoming dry I coated it with baking spray. A variety of vegetables added flavor and color to the dish. The result was a tasty dinner for two and lunch for two the next day. Are you craving comfort food? Try this recipe for Creamy Chicken and Vegetables over Rice.
Ingredients
2 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed (about two cups)
1/2 cup celery, thinly sliced
1 cup mushrooms, cleaned and quartered
1/2 package petite carrots
1 small yellow onion, coarsely chopped
1/2 red pepper, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup gravy flour
3 cups salt-free chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
3/4 teaspoon reduced sodium salt
Pepper to taste
Cooked brown rice
Method
Put celery, mushrooms, carrots, onion, and red pepper in a small saucepan. Add some water and cover. Cook vegetables over medium heat until crisp tender. Drain and set aside. Melt butter in a large pan. Whisk in gravy flour and cook for about 20 seconds. Slowly add chicken broth, whisking constantly, until sauce thickens. Reduce heat to lowest setting. Add seasonings, chicken, and vegetables. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes to blend flavors. Serve over brown rice or toast points. Makes 4-6 servings.
My mother used to make chicken pot pie from scratch, a labor-intensive recipe to be sure. This classic dish is a fancy version of creamed chicken. You can make a quick version with canned soup, but it tastes like canned soup, and is high in salt. The only way to get the creamy comfort I desired was to adapt the classic chicken pot pie recipe.
Removing the crust or biscuits would reduce the calories markedly. Deleting the cream or milk would also reduce the calories. Adding lots of vegetables would boost the nutritional value of the dish. I could also reduce the salt by using salt-free chicken stock. Finally, I could cut calories by using skinless chicken breasts.
For an Oriental version of this recipe, omit the thyme and add a couple of tablespoons of sugar-free marmalade and a dash of soy sauce. You may also make this recipe with shredded deli chicken.
I cooked the chicken breasts in the toaster oven and it worked well. To keep the chicken from becoming dry I coated it with baking spray. A variety of vegetables added flavor and color to the dish. The result was a tasty dinner for two and lunch for two the next day. Are you craving comfort food? Try this recipe for Creamy Chicken and Vegetables over Rice.
Ingredients
2 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed (about two cups)
1/2 cup celery, thinly sliced
1 cup mushrooms, cleaned and quartered
1/2 package petite carrots
1 small yellow onion, coarsely chopped
1/2 red pepper, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup gravy flour
3 cups salt-free chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
3/4 teaspoon reduced sodium salt
Pepper to taste
Cooked brown rice
Method
Put celery, mushrooms, carrots, onion, and red pepper in a small saucepan. Add some water and cover. Cook vegetables over medium heat until crisp tender. Drain and set aside. Melt butter in a large pan. Whisk in gravy flour and cook for about 20 seconds. Slowly add chicken broth, whisking constantly, until sauce thickens. Reduce heat to lowest setting. Add seasonings, chicken, and vegetables. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes to blend flavors. Serve over brown rice or toast points. Makes 4-6 servings.
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